Morality and Human Nature, a New Route to Ethical Theory

"Morality and Human Nature: A New Route to Ethical Theory" (1990) is a book written by
Robert J. McShea, Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, at Boston University. The book ties value theory with non-reductionist naturalism in ethics to offer a Humean perspective with contemporary stylings.

Contents

Part I

1. Alternatives / 21

2. Skepticism / 31

3. The Unique Individual / 41

4. God, Nature, Reason / 49

5. An Historical Interlude / 65

6. Reductionist Human Nature Theory / 73

7. What is Culturalism / 89

8. Problems of Culturalism / 99

9. Culturalist as Historicism / 127

Part II

10. Traditional Human Nature Value Theory / 151

11. Biological Human Nature / 167

12. The Human Animal / 189

13. Value Judgments / 201

14. Moral Communication / 213

15. Obligation / 223

16. Illustrations and Complications / 241

17. Conclusions / 265

Notes / 271

Index / 289

Non-Reductionist Human Nature Value Theory

The book promotes a non-reductionist human nature value theory that focuses ethical concerns squarely on emotions. "We are the sum of our feelings," writes McShea, and, "There is no conceivable good for us but the maximum satisfaction of our strongest and most enduring feelings." But this isn't to say we can or ought to do whatever we like (which, apart from being unethical, probably wouldn't grant the maximum satisfaction of enduring emotions, "see the" Paradox of hedonism). McShea's ethics are derivative of David Hume, who said, "reason is and ought to be the slave of the passions." His acknowledgments, at the end of his preface, include Aristotle, Spinoza, Hume, his wife Naomi, daughter Sarah and son Daniel (who is an assistant professor of biology at Duke University.)

References

Robert J. McShea, "Morality and Human Nature: A New Route to Ethical Theory" (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990). ISBN 0-87722-735-7